Stevens upsets sixth-ranked TCNJ

EWING, N.J. -- Six Ducks won by decision as the 28th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team upset No. 6 The College of New Jersey in a battle of in-state rivals Wednesday night in Ewing.

The match began at the 184-pound weight class, and freshman Tristan Hollenbaugh got the Ducks off to a quick start, earning a 5-0 shutout decision over freshman Dan Wojtaszek.

After a tough loss at 197 lbs., the Ducks ran off six-straight wins to seal the match. Junior heavyweight Chris Florek continued his strong start to the season with a 6-4 victory over senior Jeff Furbish, and rookie 125-pounder Rob Murray tallied a hard-fought 7-6 thriller to put Stevens on top 9-3 in the match.

At 133, sophomore Ryan Wilson earned six team points with a win by forfeit, and he was followed by sophomore freshman Frederick Perrine who won 7-1 against freshman Steven Passarella to give Stevens a 18-3 margin.

Junior 149-pounder Mike Polizzi pocketed a 5-3 decision over sophomore Dylan Thorsen, with sophomore Leo Wortman notching the Ducks' final win of the night in one of the best matches of the dual. The bout ended up needing OT with Wortman recording a take-down for the win and a 24-3 Stevens lead.

"Our guys have been working very hard and facing some incredibly tough competition to get us ready for tough matches like TCNJ," Head Coach Mike Clayton said. "They are always one of the top program in the country, and this effort tonight needs to propel our team toward the big goals that lie ahead of us."

In total the Ducks won seven bouts - six decisions and one by forfeit. The victory is the second over TCNJ in program history.

The win pushes the Ducks to 2-2 overall, while the Lions drop to 0-1. Stevens is 0-2 against Division I teams and 2-0 against Division III teams.

The Ducks will return to action at the Roger Williams Invitational Saturday.